Italian lasagna soup brings everything you love about lasagna into a cozy one-pot meal with savory sausage, tender pasta, tomato-rich broth, fresh basil, and creamy ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan for serving.
When you want the comfort of lasagna without assembling layers or waiting for a casserole to bake, this soup is a practical alternative. You still get plenty of sausage, tomatoes, pasta, herbs, and cheese, but everything comes together in one pot.
The broken lasagna sheets are especially good here because they give each bowl that unmistakable lasagna feel. They cook directly in the broth, soaking up the savory tomato flavor while also giving the soup a slightly fuller consistency.
Finish each serving with ricotta, shredded mozzarella, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. The cheeses soften when they hit the hot soup, creating rich, creamy bites without changing the entire broth into a cream-based soup.
Italian Lasagna Soup Ingredients
You only need a straightforward group of ingredients to build a flavorful soup. Since the pasta cooks directly in the pot, there is no need to boil it separately.
- Italian sausage: Provides the main savory flavor and makes the soup substantial enough for dinner.
- Lasagna sheets: Broken into smaller pieces so they are easy to scoop and eat from a bowl.
- Crushed tomatoes: Form the tomato-forward base and give the broth its classic lasagna flavor.
- Beef stock: Adds depth and enough liquid for cooking the pasta.
- Water: Helps balance the stock and tomatoes while providing additional cooking liquid.
- Yellow onion: Softens alongside the sausage and adds a mild sweetness to the soup.
- Fresh garlic: Adds an aromatic flavor that complements the sausage and tomato base.
- Italian seasoning: Gives the broth an extra layer of familiar dried-herb flavor.
- Fresh basil: Stirred in toward the end so its fresh aroma stays noticeable.
- Salt and black pepper: Used to adjust the final seasoning after the pasta cooks.
- Ricotta: Adds cool, creamy richness when spooned over each serving.
- Mozzarella: Melts slightly into the hot soup and gives each bowl a classic cheesy finish.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: Adds a salty, nutty finishing flavor that works especially well with the tomatoes and sausage.
Cooking Steps
STEP 1: Place a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage with the casings removed, then break it into small pieces as it cooks. Continue until the sausage is cooked through and lightly browned. If there is a large amount of rendered fat in the pot, carefully drain away the excess.
STEP 2: Add the chopped yellow onion directly to the browned sausage. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for roughly 1 minute. Keep the garlic moving so it becomes fragrant without browning too much.
STEP 3: Pour the crushed tomatoes into the pot, followed by the beef stock and water. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any flavorful browned bits left from cooking the sausage.
STEP 4: Stir in the Italian seasoning and increase the heat as needed to bring the soup to a boil. Meanwhile, break the dry lasagna sheets into pieces about 1 to 2 inches wide. The pieces do not need to be perfectly uniform.
STEP 5: Add the broken lasagna noodles to the boiling soup and stir thoroughly so they separate. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady but gentle simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring several times during cooking to prevent pasta pieces from sticking together or settling onto the bottom.
STEP 6: Check the pasta for tenderness. Once it is cooked to your preferred texture, tear the fresh basil leaves and stir them into the hot soup. Taste the broth and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
STEP 7: Ladle the soup into bowls while it is hot. Finish each serving with a spoonful of room-temperature ricotta, shredded whole-milk mozzarella, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Give the cheese a moment to soften from the heat before digging in.
Recipe Tips
- Stir the pasta periodically. Broken lasagna sheets can overlap and stick while cooking, especially during the first few minutes after they enter the broth.
- Season after the pasta cooks. Sausage, beef stock, and Parmesan can all contain salt, so waiting until the end makes it easier to avoid over-seasoning the soup.
- Add basil at the end. Fresh basil loses some of its bright aroma when simmered for too long. Tear it shortly before serving and stir it in once the noodles are tender.
Can I use another type of pasta?
Yes. Broken lasagna sheets give the soup its most recognizable lasagna-like texture, but another sturdy pasta can work if that is what you have available. Keep in mind that cooking time and the amount of liquid absorbed can change depending on the pasta shape and thickness.
How do I keep the lasagna noodles from sticking?
Stir the soup immediately after adding the pasta and continue stirring occasionally as it simmers. Pay particular attention during the first several minutes, when dry pieces are most likely to stick together. Keeping the soup at a gentle simmer rather than an aggressive boil also helps.
Can I make lasagna soup ahead of time?
You can prepare it ahead, although the pasta will continue absorbing broth while it sits. If you know the soup will be stored before serving, cooking the noodles just until tender can help prevent them from becoming overly soft later.
Keep the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan separate until serving rather than mixing them into the entire pot.
Why does lasagna soup get thicker after sitting?
The pasta continues absorbing liquid even after the pot comes off the heat. This naturally makes leftover soup thicker than it was when freshly cooked. When reheating, add a small splash of water or beef stock if needed to return it to a soupier consistency.
What to Serve with Italian Lasagna Soup
Because this soup already includes sausage, pasta, tomatoes, and cheese, simple sides work particularly well.
- Garlic bread: A natural choice for soaking up the savory tomato broth left at the bottom of the bowl.
- Simple green salad: Crisp greens provide a fresh contrast to the hearty sausage, pasta, and cheese.
- Roasted vegetables: A lightly seasoned vegetable side rounds out the meal without competing with the soup’s rich flavors.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Allow leftover soup to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days. Keep any unused ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan in separate containers so you can add fresh cheese after reheating each portion.
The biggest change during storage will be the texture of the pasta. Lasagna noodles absorb more broth over time, so the soup may resemble a thick pasta stew the following day. That is normal. Stir in a little water or additional beef stock when reheating if you prefer more broth.
Warm individual portions gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly until thoroughly heated. You can also reheat smaller servings in the microwave, pausing occasionally to stir so the pasta and sausage heat evenly.
Freezing is possible, but pasta generally becomes softer after freezing and thawing. For the most pleasant noodle texture, this soup is better enjoyed fresh or refrigerated rather than frozen. If you do freeze leftovers, store them in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to about 2 months, leaving a little room for expansion.
Once reheated, finish the bowl just as you would on the first night: add a spoonful of ricotta, mozzarella, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a little fresh basil. Those simple toppings bring back the creamy, cheesy contrast that makes this comforting soup taste so much like a bowl of classic lasagna.
Italian Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 4 cups beef stock
- 10 dry lasagna sheets broken into pieces approximately 1–2 inches in size
- 4 fresh garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes preferably San Marzano
- 1 pound Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 cup water
- 1 –2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves torn immediately before serving for optimal flavor
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped into roughly 1/4-inch pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper adjusted to taste
For Serving
- Ricotta cheese brought to room temperature
- Whole-milk mozzarella cheese shredded
- Parmigiano-Reggiano preferably freshly grated
Instructions
- Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook until fully done and lightly browned, breaking the meat into smaller pieces with a spoon as it cooks. Drain away any excess rendered fat.
- Add the chopped yellow onion to the sausage and continue cooking for approximately 4–5 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Stir in the freshly minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute, just until aromatic.
- Pour the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, and water into the pot. Stir thoroughly so the liquids combine evenly with the sausage, onion, and garlic.
- Mix in the Italian seasoning and bring the soup to a rolling boil. Add the broken lasagna sheets, stirring from time to time to keep the pasta pieces from sticking together.
- Lower the heat and maintain a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the lasagna pieces are tender and completely cooked.
- Once the pasta has reached the desired tenderness, stir the freshly torn basil into the soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
- Keep the soup warm until serving so the ingredients remain well combined and heated throughout.
- Prepare the ricotta, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and shredded mozzarella immediately before serving.
- Ladle the hot lasagna soup into individual bowls. Top each portion with dollops of room-temperature ricotta, a generous scattering of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and shredded mozzarella. Allow the heat of the soup to gently soften the cheeses before serving.